Hat packing stay and combination thereof with a hat box



NOV. 21, 1939. J G, HUY'E 2,180,524

HAT PACKING STAY AND COMBINATION TH EREOF WITH A HAT BOX Filed July 6,1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wv 'g2. q 2.0

J. ca. HUYE 2.180524 HAT PACKING STAY AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH A HATBOX Nov. 21, 1939.

Filed July 6, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J.. G. HUYE Nov. 21, 1939.

HAT PACKING STAY AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH A HAT BOX Filed July 6,1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNiTED STATE HAT PACKINGSTAY AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH A HAT BOX Joseph G. Huye, New Orleans,La. Application July 6, 1937, Serial No; 152,218

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the combination of hat packing stays in a hatbox for storing and/or shipping hats and also to such hat packing staysv or supports per se and to the several features thereof.

In the hat manufacturing business it is of great importance from acommercial View point that felt hats shall be so packed that if shippedthey will not be subjected to the pressure of any sustaining packingelements, or impressed or indented by or marked by any packing element.Also, it is of importance that they shall not be dented or mussed up inany manner, but shall be received substantially in perfect ironedcondition, the same condition in which they were at the time ofcompletion at the factory.

Also, it is of importance to reduce as far as possible the number ofpacking boxes required, the weight of material used in making suchboxes, and in general the expense entering into such packing.

Also, it is of importance to reduce as far as possible the time per hatrequired in such packing by the packer, the weight of the packing staysused, and to simplify the packing process and to reduce the number ofpacking elements required to be used.

The present invention has been developed with the foregoingconsiderations in mind and has for its primary objects to provide acombination of elements whereby the packed hats in superposed relationwill be held against endwise or sidewise and/or vertical movement; toprovide a combination of parts whereby no part of any hat will besubjected to the Weight of any other hat or to the weight of any packingelement; to provide individual means for sustaining the weight of theindividual hats, no part of any of said means resting upon any hat orany part of any hat in such way as to transmit thereto the weight of anyother hat or of any packing element; to

provide individual means for centering each hat in the box and bycontact with the wall or sides of said box hold each hat in centeredposition; to guard against any abrupt sharp edge of any packing elementcoming into contact With the brim of any hat; to provide a telescopicsuperposed built up multiple hat stay construction extending from thetop to the bottom of the hat box and so centering and holding eachindividual hat as to prevent movement of any hat in the direction of theaxis of the box; to provide hat stay means of such construction and sorelated in the built up combination that the lower stay will rest and besupported directly by the upper face of the bottom of the box and eachstay above the bottom stay will rest directly upon and be supported bythe surface of theimmediately lower stay; to provide in such a built upstack arrangement a construction whereby each hat will rest by its 'brimdirectly upon the upper face of its supporting stay and will be held orlimited against endwise movement by stops having wide surfaces presentedtoward and closely adjacent to the upper surfaces of the brims of therespective hats but will have no part actually in contact with any partof the hat brim or' brims,

whereby each of the "hats will merely supportits own weight and will beheld in a sort of floating relationship in the stack; to provide guardsassociated with each stay member for disposition between the centralopenings in each stay member and the crown of the hat encircled therebyto prevent any marking of the hat crown by said edges; and to providesaid detail improvements in the stays; also to provide a construction ofstay which may be formed preferably by a single stamping operation andwhich may be stored and shipped flat in sheet form condition the same asa flat sheet of paper and yet which may be quickly erected intooperative stay condition, whereby a large supply 'of stays may be keptreadily at hand in the packing room and quickly erected and used asneeded during the packing operation.

In the accompanying drawings: I Figure 1 represents a side elevation,partly in section, of a stack of three hats and their stays arranged inalternation as arranged in a box which is shown in section; s Fig. 2, asectional View on the .line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Figure 3, a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4, a section on the line l4 of Figure 3, looking in the directionof the arrows;

Figure 5, a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 6, a sectional View on the line 6 -6. of Figure 5, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figured, a plan'view of one of the stays or stay bodies in fiat sheetform condition;

Figure 8, a perspective viewof one of the stays or stay bodies inerected condition;

. Figure 9, a plan view of one. of the crown guards in fiat condition; v

Figure 10, a perspective view of one of the crown guards in operativeform ready to be applied in operative position to one of the stays orstay bodies;

Figure 11, an enlarged fragmentary detail view of one end portion of oneof the stays or stay bodies in erected condition; and

Figure 12, a sectional view on the line l2-l2 of Figure 11, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A designates the body of thebox; B, the top of the box; C, the bottom of the box; and D, the hatshaving brims d and sweat bands e.

Each of the stays or centering means I is formed as a flat sheet ofpreferably paper board or paste board material perferably flatlyresilient in character with a central opening 2 to receive the crown ofa hat about which it is to be applied and has preferably integral sideportions 3 and end tongues 4, there being score lines 5 marking off thesides 3 from the sheet or body I to facilitate the folding of the sides3 inwardly slightly beyond the vertical to constitute upwardly extendingslightly outwardly inclined bracing flanges 3 in erected condition; andthere being score or fold lines 6 marked across the base of therespective end tongues 4 to facilitate the folding down of these tongues4 into operative position wherein they serve to lock the parts inerected condition.

Corner portions 9' extend from the respective end portions of the sideportions or flanges 3 and fold at an obtuse angle with relation theretoalong score or fold lines 1 respectively extending at obtuse angles fromthe respective score lines 5, whereby the respective portions 3 will bedisposed in an upwardly and outwardly inclined vertical position whenthe corner portions 9 are disposed in a horizontal position, that is tosay when their upper and lower edges are horizontal in the erectedcondition of the stay. Preferably integral with the extreme end portionof each corner portion 9' is an end lap portion ll folded over intotransverse position at right angles to the portions 3 along the scoredor fold line 9 respectively, so that in the erected condition the end orlap portions H at each end of the stay will extend at obtuse angles totheir respective corner portions II and at right angles to the sideflanges 3 and will have their adjacent end edges substantially inabutment as illustrated in Figures 6 and 11. A tongue [3 will be cut outof each end lap H adjacent the score or fold lines 9 along three sidesand left connected along its remaining long side with the correspondingcornerportion 9', whereby in erected condition each said tongue l3 willproject in the plane of its corresponding corner portion 9 beyond thescore or fold line or hinge 9, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 11, alsoI2 to fit into and interlock with cooperating notches l2 formed in thesides of the respective end tongues 4 in the erected condition of thestay.

Each end lap l l is formed with a short out l5 extending from its loweredge to form a short tongue l1.

Each end tongue 4 is formed with a preferablydovetailed notch i4 in itslower end edge or portion, such notch I4 leaving on either side of itlocking tongues IS with downwardly and inwardly inclined inner edgeportions.

' The medial portions of the side flanges 3 are formed with upwardmovement limit stops 2|, preferably integral with said medial portionsand preferably folded inward along the respective scored or fold lines[9 to present wide stop faces closely adjacent to, but spaced from, theupper faces of the brims of the hats in the assembled operativecondition or relation of the stays and when the package is right sideup, said limit stops 2| serving to engage the said upper faces of thebrims of the hats and to support the hats in case the package should beinverted. The lower portions of the flanges 3 on each side of saidmedial portions carrying the stops 2| may be cut away as illustrated, tocut down the shipping weight of the packing stay, and preferably eachbracing flange 3 will be formed with a hand opening 23 to facilitate thehandling of the stay and also to cut down weight. Also preferably atdiametrically opposite points on opposite sides of and centrallylengthwise of the opening 2 the flat portion or top of the stay will beformed with openings 20 to receive the interlocking tongues 30 of thecrown guard. These openings 20 may be formed by cutting away thematerial along three sides in a generally U-shaped cut so that thematerial delineated by said out may be depressed, or the material may becut out entirely according as may be preferred.

To erect one of the stays the side bracing flanges 3 are folded alongtheir respective score lines 5, the end tongues 4 are folded along theirrespective score or fold lines 6, the corner portions 9' are foldedalong their respective score or fold lines I, and the end laps H arefolded along their respective fold lines 9. As thus folded, the end lapsII are moved into parallel relation behind, and preferably in contactwith, the inner faces of the respective end tongues 4 with therespective tongues l3 fitting in the respective cooperating notches tivesides of the respective end tongues thereafter the respective pairs ofinterlocking tongues I! of each respective pair of end laps II arepulled or pressed endwise outward through the respective notches l4 ofthe respective end tongues 4 to respectively overlie and interlap withthe respective lapping tongues l6 of the respective end tongues 4. Inthis condition the stay will be locked in erected condition.

Each corner portion 9' in such erected condition extends across a cornerportion of the top of the stay l, leaving projecting beyond said cornerportion 9' a supporting portion or surface l8, upon which may rest andbe supported the corner portions 9 of the next higher packing stay asthe same are arranged in stacked relationship in a box. Also said cornerportions I8 serve to engage the sides of the packing box to preventsidewise movement of the stay and the hat supported thereby. Of coursethese portions I8 of the stay will be of such extent and of such edgecontour as may be required by the cross sectional size and form of thebox with which they are to be used, being angular in the presentembodiment because the box with which they are to be used is of oblongoctagonal cross sectional form. Were a so-called square box with roundedcorners to be used, such supporting portions l8 would havecorrespondingly curved end edges.

Where hats are packed at the factory for purposes of shipment and/orstorage for a considerable length of time the crown guards 24 willpreferably be employed, a pair of such guards being used to each hatpacking stay, said guards being inserted in and on opposite sides of theopening 2 and interlocked with the stay by having the tongues 30, formedby the U-shaped cut in their respective thumb pieces 26 depressed alongtheir hinge line connections 29 and inserted in the respective holes 20in the respective portions I2 in the respec- 4 and serve :to preventcontact between 11f the topofathesstay'body=or top. The thumb pieces :26are formed by the upwardly convergiing :cuts .25 and integrallyconnected .with :the bodies of their respective 'ICIOWII guards 24 alongthe hinge, scored .or fold line 121. These guards the relativelynarrow-sharpedge of thehole 2 and the opposed outer face f the hat crownreceived therein.

The'upper packing stay I is-preferably formed and constructed anderected in'the same manner :as above set forth, except thatit is vofsuch height that, together with the other stays used in thestack,-it'wil1:make a stackcof a composite height equalling orsubstantially equalling the distance between the-upper face of thebottom of the box :and :the-lower face of the top of the box, therebypreventing any :relative endwise movement or any substantial relativeendwise movement.

The lower edges of the cornerportions 9' of the lower stay willrest uponthe upper face of the bottom of the box, the corresponding edges of thecorresponding portions of the other stays will rest on and be supportedby the portions I8 of the next lower stays and the upper face of theupper stay 1' will be in engagement "with, or in substantial engagementwith the lower face of the top of the box.

While the embodiment of packing stay illustrated is preferred, this staymay be made in a number of diiferent other forms omitting many .of thedetails illustrated and substituting some others having the some generalpurposes. For instance it is not necessary that a separate fasteningmeans shall not be used in substitution for the-tongues l1 interlockingwith the tongues l6;

also while the tongues l3 fitting in the cooperating notches I2 are adesirable feature, they are not essential and may be omitted. Also whileit is preferred that the corner portions 9', flat portions II and endtongues 4'all be disposed in vertical planes, it is-not essential.

.Put another way it may be said thatit will be sufficient if the packingstays are such that the upper faces of the main body thereof willsupport the hat resting thereon and will offer supporting surfaces forcooperatingportions of parts depending from the upper portion 'or bodyor supporting surface of the immediately next above stay at pointsbeyond the rim of the hat resting thereon and is so formed as to preventappreciable or substantial endwise and/or sidewise movement as disposedin a shipping or storing box, there being some means provided dependingtoward the brims of theresp-ective hats and out of contactnormally'therewith for-preventing their movement in the direction of theaxis of the stack to an appreciable extent in case the package iould beinverted.

When the retail packer receives thepackage and has inspected the same"to see the'condition of the hats as received,in repacking'them he mayomit to replace the crown guards 26, since the boxes will be placed uponhis shelves for convenience in disposing of his stock and there will beno such handling .of the "boxesas would cause the crowns of the hats torest against or contact with the edges of the openings 2 of therespective hat stays.

Also, and for the same reasons, should the hat .manufacturer know thatthe hats were to be immediately disposed of and that the packages wereto be shipped by'truck for instance from the factory and so not subjectto repeated rehandling, the manufacturer might also omit the use of saidcrown guards 24.

a tubular box body,

stack or any portion thereof "stay resting directly on the 'Whileit ispreferred thestops .zl shall be of the construction, and'shall dependorextend from the respective-side flanges 3, as shown, this is .not

shown in my pending application Ser. No. 97,703, filed August 24, 1936for Hat packing stays and combination package and it is not essentialthat they be integral with said top or body or flanges.

I claim:

1. A storing and shipping package comprising a bottom closing the lowerendof said'body, in combination with a plurality of packing stay unitsand a plurality of hats, said hats .and' stay units being arranged inalternation in nested superposed stack relation in said box, each saidstay unit comprising a collapsible packingstay formed with a largecentral opening to receive a hat crown and a pair of hat crown guardsinterlocked with said stay and disposed in said opening between the walledge defining the same and the opposed face of said hat crown, each saidstay in erected condition comprising an upper supporting body, upwardlyinclined side flanges depending from said body, movement limit stopsextending from said flanges to points closely adjacent the hat brimimmediately below said body to limit the movement of the said hat brimtoward said body, corner flange portions integral with said side flangesand extending aptact the opposed internal face portions of the box withwhich it is used at such points as will suffice to prevent substantialshifting movement of the in a direction perpendicular to the axis of thestack, the lower upper face of the box bottom and .the remaining staysresting directly on and being supportediby the upper faces of therespective next "lower stays, and the cornbined height of said stays asarranged in stack relation being substantially equal to the distancebetween the upper face of the 'box'bottom and the lower face of thebox'top, and sad box top being substantially in engagement with theupper end of said box body.

'2. A storing and shipping package comprising a tubular box body, abottom closing the lower end of said body, in combination withaplurality of packing stay units and a plurality of hats, said hats andstay units being arrangedin alternation in nested superposed stackrelation in saidbox, each said stayunit comprising a collapsible packingstay formed with a large central opening to receive a hat crown, eachsaid stay in erected condition comprising an upper supporting body,upwardly inclined side flanges depending from said body, movement limitstops extending from said flanges to points closely adjacent the hatbrim immediately 'below said body to limit the movement of the said hatbrim toward said body, corner flange portions integral with said sideflanges-and extending appreciably below said side flanges at pointsbeyond said hat brim to provide a clearance for the same and to rest onthe 4 used at such points as will suffice to prevent substantialshifting movement of the stack or any portion thereof in a directionperpendicular to the axis of the stack, the lower stay resting directlyon the upper face of the box bottom and the remaining stays restingdirectly on and being supported by the upper faces of the respectivenext lower stays, and the combined height of said stays as arranged instack relation be- ;ing substantially equal to the distance between theupper face of the box bottom and the lower face of the box top, and saidbox top being substantially in engagement with the upper end of said boxbody.

3. A collapsible hat packing stay for use in packing a hat in a box,said stay comprising a centering stay body formed with a large centralopening to receive a hat crown and of such size and shape as to contactopposed portions of the inner face of a box body with which it is to beused at such points as to prevent substantial movement relative to saidbox body in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof, and limitstops connected with portions of said stay and in operative usedepending closely adjacent to and spaced from a hat brim, in combinationwith end tongues integral with the respective ends of said body andfoldable to depend therefrom substantially at right angles thereto, sideflanges integral with said body and foldable to depend therefrom at anacute angle thereto so as to be upwardly and outwardly inclined, cornerflanges respectively integral with the end portions of each side flangeand respectively foldable at obtuse angles thereto to extend across endportions of the body with their upper edges in supporting contact withthe lower face of said body, and end laps respectively integral with theends of the respective corner flanges and respectively folded at obtuseangles thereto to lie substantially parallel to, and to engage the innerface of, the corresponding end tongues depending from the respectiveends of said body, the said corner flanges and the corresponding sideportions of the corresponding cooperating tongues being formed withcooperating interengaging bracing means, the lower edge portions of saidtongues and the corresponding lower edge portions of the correspondingend laps being formed with interlocking means to lock the flanges andend laps in erected position and the ends of the adjacent end laps inerected relation substantially abutting to prevent unintentionaldisengagement of said interlocking means, and said corner flangesextending downward sufficiently beyond the lower edges of said sideflanges to provide a clearance for a hat brim between the plane of thelower edges of said side flanges and the plane of the lower edges ofsaid corner flanges.

4. A collapsible hat packing stay for use in packing a hat in a box,said stay comprising a centering stay body formed with a large centralopening to receive a hat crown and of such size and shape as to contactopposed portions of the inner face of a box body with which it is to beused at such points as to prevent substantial movement relative to saidbox body in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof and limitstops connected with portions of said stay and in operative usedepending closely adjacent to and spaced from a hat brim, in combinationwith end tongues connected with the respective end portions of said bodyand foldable to depend therefrom, side flanges connected with said bodyand foldable to depend therefrom,corner flanges re--spectively'connected with the end portions of each side flange andrespectively foldable to extend across end portions of the body, and endlaps respectively connected with the respective corner flanges andrespectively foldable to lie substantially parallel to, and to engagethe inner face of, the corresponding end tongues depending from therespective ends of said body, the said corner flanges and thecorresponding side portions of the corresponding cooperating tonguesbeing formed with cooperating interengaging bracing means, the loweredge portions of said tongues and the corresponding lower edge portionsof the corresponding end laps being formed with interlocking means tolock the flanges and end laps in erected position, and said cornerflanges extending downward sufficiently beyond the lower edges of saidside flanges to provide a clearance for a hat brim between the plane ofthe lower edges of said side flanges and the plane of the lower edges ofsaid corner flanges.

5. A collapsible hat packing stay for use in packing a hat in a box,said stay comprising a centering stay body formed with a large centralopening to receive a hat crown and of such size and shape as to contactopposed portions of the inner face of a box body with which it is to beused at such points as to prevent substantial movement relative to saidbox body in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof and stopsconnected with and depending from portions of said stay closely adjacentto and directly above and spaced from a hat brim to limit movement ofsaid hat axially of the opening in said stay, in combination with endtongues connected with the respective end portions of said body andfoldable to depend therefrom, side flanges connected with said body andfoldable to depend therefrom, corner flanges respectively connected withthe end portions of each side flange and respectively foldable to extendacross end portions of the body, and end laps respectively connectedwith the ends of the respective corner flanges and respectively foldedto lie substantially parallel to, and to engage the inner face of, thecorresponding end tongues depending from the respective ends of saidbody, the lower edge portions of said tongues and the correspondinglower edge portions of the corresponding end laps being formed withinterlocking means to lock the flanges and end laps in erected position,and said end laps extending downward sufficiently beyond the lower edgesof said side flanges to provide a clearance for a hat brim between theplane of the lower edges of said side flanges and the plane of the loweredges of said end laps.

6. A collapsible hat packing stay for use in packing a hat in a box,said stay comprising a centering stay body formed with a large centralopening to receive a hat crown and of such size and shape as to contactopposed portions of the inner face of a box body with which it is to beused at such points as to prevent substantial movement relative to saidbox body in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof, and stopsconnected with and depending from portions of said stay closely adjacentto and directly above and spaced from a hat brim to limit movement ofsaid hat axially of the opening in said stay, in combination with sideflanges integral with said body and foldable to depend therefrom, cornerflanges respectively integral with the end portions of each side flangeand respectively foldable at obtuse angles thereto to extend across endportions of the body with their upper edges in supporting contact withthe lower face of said body, and

means for securing said corner flanges in such I relationship.

7. A collapsible hat packing stay for use in packing a hat in a box,said stay comprising a centering stay body formed with a large centralopening to receive a hat crown and of such size and shape as to contactopposed portions of the inner face of a box body with which it is to beused at such points as to prevent substantial movement relative to saidbox body in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof, incombination with side flanges integral with said body and fold- JOSEPHG.

to limit movement 10

